The Oliver Saga: Return of Darkness
by Scarlet Grizzly
Summary: Christopher Oliver is unusual, even for a wizard. He grew up like a Muggle, even though he's what people call a "pure-blood", whatever that is. But on his eleventh birthday, he got a letter from Hogwarts. Now, he's gonna learn magic!
1. Chapter 1: The Letter

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

On his eleventh birthday, Christopher Oliver woke up earlier than normal. He briefly contemplated going back to sleep, until his hunger drove him out into the kitchen in search of breakfast. He found his father slumped at the table nursing a mug of coffee.

"Morning, Dad." Chris opened a cabinet, hoping to find some bread. He was sorely disappointed to find the bread's place taken by a half-empty jar of pickles.

"You're up early. Mum went to the market to pick up your cake, so don't ruin your appetite." Charles Oliver stretched and reached for the newspaper, only to realize that it was the previous day's. "Chris, can you get the newspaper? And pick up the mail, too."

"Alright." Chris skipped to the front door. Truth be told, he'd forgotten it was his birthday until his father had mentioned cake. He hoped his mother would be back soon. Picking up the newspaper and the post, he noticed a letter addressed to him in green ink. Returning to the kitchen, he dropped off the others in front of his father and opened the letter.

It had been sealed in wax with a strange crest. Looking closely, he could just about make out four animals, although it was hard to see what they exactly were. The contents of the letter were even more mystifying.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Minerva McGonagall (Order of Merlin, First Class, Chf. Witch, High Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Oliver,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Filius Flitwick

Deputy Headmaster

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

sets of plain work robes (black)

plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Frowning in confusion, Chris handed the letter to his father. "Look Dad, I think I got some joke mail or something."

Charles took one look at the letter and nearly spat out his coffee. His face turned bright red for a minute and he seemed quite unable to speak. Astonished, Chris watched his father sputter inarticulately. Perhaps this letter was more than just a joke.

Taking a deep breath, Charles eyed the letter balefully. After a long moment, he finally picked up the letter and turned to Chris. "Remember that time we took you to the beach when you were five?" He said gently. "You made a sandcastle that you were so proud of."

"Yeah." Chris vaguely remembered the sandcastle. It had been an impressive creation for a young child.

"Well, do you remember telling Mum and me that your sandcastle had turned to gold?"

"Yeah, but I figured that was just me being a stupid little kid." Chris grinned. "You told me it was my imagination."

"It wasn't. You really did turn that sandcastle into solid gold." Charles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Christopher, this letter isn't a joke. Magic is real, and Hogwarts is a school for witches and wizards. Your mother and I both went there when we were young."

Chris laughed. "That's funny, Dad. Everyone know's magic's not real. And you're no wizard; you work as an policeman. That's not magical at all!"

"Ah, that's what you think." Charles smiled thinly. "Lumos!" A ball of light blinked into existence in the palm of his hand, shining brightly.

"What?" Chris gaped. His mind tried to think of an explanation, but none came. It really seemed like... magic. "How are you doing that?"

"Nox." Charles extinguished the light. "I told you I was a wizard."

"Cool! So can I go to Hogwarts?"

"If that is what you want, yes." Charles nodded.

"Alright! Best birthday ever!" Chris whooped and ran upstairs to his room. "Wait till Mum hears about this!" Then another thought hit him, and he went back downstairs. "Hey, Dad? How come you never told me about this before? And how come you or Mum don't use magic?"


	2. Chapter 2: Susan's Story

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

"I-" Charles started to answer, but then the front door opened.

"I'm home!" Susan called. Carrying the birthday cake, she went into the kitchen to find her husband and son sitting at the table. "Happy Birthday Chris!"

"Mum! Look, I got a letter from Hogwarts!" Chris snatched up a piece of paper and waved it at his mother. "Dad said I can go! I'm gonna be a wizard!"

Susan blinked, then set the cake down on the table. Peering at the paper in her son's hand, she read the familiar words. "Oh my."

Charles grunted something about the war and got up. Susan sat down in his discarded chair and faced her son. "Christopher, magic can be dangerous, you know. If you're going to go to Hogwarts, you must promise me to be absolutely careful."

Chris's eyes widened. His mother almost never called him Christopher. "I promise." He said solemnly. "Mum, how come you and Dad never use magic? I didn't even know it was real until Dad used a spell."

Susan bit her lip. Where to start? "Chris, you have to understand. Not everyone can use magic. People who can't, regular people, are called Muggles. It's against wizarding law to use magic in front of one."

"But I'm not a Muggle! Dad said I turned a sandcastle to gold when I was five!" Chris protested. A horrible thought struck him. "Am I gonna be arrested by wizard police because of that? Some Muggles might have seen it."

Susan laughed. "No, they make an exception for kids. And you're right, you're not a Muggle. But there's another reason we never told you. The year you were born, there was a war. An evil wizard named Tom Riddle tried to take over Britain. He and his followers, Death Eaters, nearly won, too. But a young wizard named Harry Potter defeated Riddle and most of the Death Eaters were caught or disappeared. A few years later, some of them resurfaced, led by Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and a new war began. For over a year, they terrorized the wizarding world, attacking Muggleborn witches and wizards. It got so bad, the war threatened to spill over into the rest of the world. Death Eaters started popping up in France, America, even as far away as China.

"Clearly, something had to be done. Wizards from all over the world to fight in one final battle at Azkaban, the Death Eaters' fortress. Your father and I fought in this battle, and we won, but at a great cost. Many good people lost their lives that day. It was too much for us to take, and your father and I decided not long after to turn our backs on the wizarding world and live as Muggles."

"It seems however, that the wizarding world will not turn its back on us." Charles sighed and set down three plates. As he stuck candles into the cake and lit them, he continued. "But, that's enough history for now. Now, let's celebrate your birthday! After cake, we'll take you to Diagon Alley to go shopping."


	3. Chapter 3: Diagon Alley

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

Chris had never seen so much color in shop windows before, even in Muggle malls. _Feels weird to use that word, since I've been a Muggle for eleven years_ , he thought. Diagon Alley was definitely the most interesting place he'd ever seen.

"Nate!" Susan called to her younger son. Nate Oliver had just pulled the tail of a fat white cat that now was hissing loudly at the boy. "Stop bothering that poor animal and come here now!"

"Kitty!" Nate laughed, ignoring his mother. Feeling sorry for the cat, Chris picked up his six-year-old brother and dropped him off with Mum. They were in Litteldo's Pet Shop, looking for an owl for his birthday present while his father was at Gringotts.

Chris wandered through the store, looking at the vast collection of animals. There were many animals you'd find in a normal pet store; cats, dogs, rabbits, and parrots. There were however, also salamanders, giant snails, and even furballs that were apparently called Puffskeins. And owls. So many owls; black, white, barn, screech, etc. How was he going to decide on just one?

Deciding to pick one that looked nice, Chris approached a handsome horned owl. "Hello." He leaned in close to the cage to get a better look. The owl didn't seem to like this, and screeched loudly at Chris before coughing up a pellet. "Maybe not."

Something in the other side of the store fell with a loud CLANG! People began shouting as something small and fuzzy whizzed through the air. The small gray blur flew straight at Chris. He shouted and lifted his arms to protect his face. The flying object collided with his hands, and he managed to grab onto it. Looking closely, Chris realized that it was a small owl, which hooted happily and promptly fell asleep.

The store owner, Jane Litteldo, grumbled as she grabbed her net. That damned owl had escaped for the third time that day. Even a sleeping potion in its feed wasn't enough to calm it down. She followed the owl to the back of the store only to find a young boy with copper colored hair and dark blue eyes holding the bird, which was fast asleep. "Well, I'll be... How'd yeh get that hyperactive thing to calm down?"

Chris looked up at the shopkeeper. "I dunno. He just crashed into me and went to sleep."

Jane Litteldo smiled. "Heh. He musta liked yeh."

Charles Oliver strode into Gringotts confidently. Ignoring the whispers and stares of the bank's other patrons, he approached the front desk and cleared his throat. The goblin on duty, Ironfang, raised an eyebrow at the familiar face. "Mr. Oliver. We did not expect you to return to the wizarding world."

"Neither did I." Charles replied. "I need to access my vault."

"Password?"

"Starstrike."

Ironfang grunted and rang a bell. Another goblin led Charles Oliver to the vaults while Ironfang made a note of Mr. Oliver's reopening of his accounts.

Charles followed the goblin into the cart and down into the deep tunnels of Gringotts. He'd never thought he'd have reason to enter the bank, yet here he was. After a few more seconds, the cart shuddered to a stop.

"Vault 709." The goblin announced. Charles got out of the cart and walked towards the vault door. He pressed his hand against it, feeling the cold metal melt away. The solid steel slab shrank away from his touch, creating an opening wide enough for him to walk through. Charles strode over to the center of the vault, ignoring the piles of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts nearby and heading straight for the tiny brass chest that stood on top of a pedestal. Inside were two wands, his wife's and his own.

Gently, almost fearfully, Charles took hold of his wand. _Hazel, with a phoenix feather core, 9 1/2 inches. Stiff, good for charms._ he idly remembered Ollivander selling him his wand. The very moment his hand closed around the familiar, intricately carved grip, an incredible warmth filled Charles and the room lit up with golden light. He felt a faint sense of reproach from the wand in his hand. "Sorry old friend." He murmured. "You chose me, and I abandoned you." Realizing that he was talking to a wand, Charles checked to see if the goblin had noticed (he hadn't). Quickly packing some money and his wife's wand, Charles left Gringotts.

* * *

While his mother took Nate to Flourish and Blotts to get his schoolbooks, Chris went with his father to Ollivanders. Next to him, his new owl, Mercury, rattled the bars of his cage. "Thanks for the owl, Dad."

"Hey, it's your birthday present. Besides, owls can carry messages, so this way I know you'll write to us." Charles pushed open the door to the store.

Inside, shelves filled the cramped interior, filled with narrow boxes. A single spindly chair sat in the corner. A boy about Chris's age sat in the chair, reading a comic book that apparently featured Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle. Noticing the customers, he got up quickly. "Hi, you here for a wand? Let me just get Grandpa." He started making his way to the back of the store but turned back suddenly, squinting at Charles. "Sorry, but aren't you-"

"No, you must be thinking of someone else. I get that a lot." Charles hastily interrupted. "I'm going to head over to Madame Malkin's to pick up your uniform. Be back in half an hour." He said to Chris before hurrying out of the store.

"Okay, Grandpa'll see you in a bit." The boy returned from the back room. "My name's Brandon, by the way. Brandon Ollivander."

"I'm Chris Oliver. Do you work here?"

"Only during the summers. I'm starting Hogwarts this year."

"Same here." Chris looked closely at one of the narrow boxes on the shelf. **Ebony, unicorn hair, 12 inches, stiff, good for Transfiguration.** "How do I pick a wand?"

"You don't." An old man with pale eyes cleared his throat, startling Chris. Ollivander had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "The wand chooses the wizard, Christopher. Here, let the tape measure you, and we'll see."

A tape measure leapt up from underneath the chair and promptly began flitting around Chris. Fascinated, he watched it measure his arms, legs, hands, and other bodily parts with a mind of its own. After it measured the width of Chris's nostril, the tape  
crumpled to the floor and Ollivander nodded.

"Hmm. Well, try this." He produced a fine wooden rod. "Mahogany, dragon heartstring, 14 1/2 inches, bendy, good for Charms."

Chris took the wand and waved it lightly. Nothing happened.

"Evidently not." Ollivander handed him another. "Ash, unicorn hair, 9 inches, brittle, a jack of all trades."

This wand also failed to produce any result. For twenty minutes, Chris tried over fifty different wands. Occasionally, one would let off a loud BANG, or emit a cloud of orange smoke, but Ollivander seemed unsatisfied. Eventually, he went to the back of the store and took out a wand from the bottom of the furthest shelf. "Here. Perhaps this might suit you. Aspen, phoenix feather, 15 inches, light, excellent for dueling."

Chris grasped the wand. As soon as his hand closed around the handle, white sparks shot out of the end. Ollivander clapped slowly. "A wonderful match. One of the first I ever made, you know. Use it wisely, Christopher."

Just then, Charles returned with a large trunk. "Ah, Ollivander. Seven galleons for the wand?"

"Indeed." Ollivander nodded. "Your boy just got his wand. I take it you have yours?"

"Yes." Charles handed the old wandmaker seven golden coins. "Good day." He led his son out of the store. Chris waved to Brandon as he left.

It was only much later that Chris realized that he'd never told Ollivander that his name was Christopher.


	4. Chapter 4: The Four Houses

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

The hardest part of it was waiting, Chris thought. His birthday was in February, so for about six months, he had to continue at his primary school without telling anyone that he was a wizard, albeit one who didn't know how to do any magic. All in all, he was relieved when the summer holidays began, so he could stay at home and spend all day reading his new spellbooks.

"You should go outside, enjoy the sun." Susan remarked to her elder son, who was lounging in an armchair next to her. "It's a beautiful day outside."

"Maybe later." Chris shifted himself into a more comfortable position in the armchair and continued reading _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._ **The Streeler is a giant snail that changes colour on an hourly basis**... "Mum, can I get a Streeler for my birthday next year?"

"Are you kidding?" Susan scoffed. "Do you know how hard it is to clean up Streeler slime? Anyways, wouldn't you want something else, like a broomstick, so you can fly?"

"I dunno. That sounds kinda dangerous."

"Oh, it is. But it's a lot of fun, especially in Quidditch. I played for my House team in my fourth year onward, you know."

Chris closed his book and turned to his mother. "What's Quidditch?"

"Only the best sport in the world!" Susan exclaimed. "I can't believe I haven't told you about it. You have two teams of seven players each on broomsticks: three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker. The Chasers throw around a red ball called the Quaffle and try to make it into three golden hoops, which are guarded by the keeper. Sort of like basketball. Each score is worth ten points. The Beaters carry around bats, which they hit the Bludgers with. Those are nasty lead lumps that fly around and knock people off their brooms."

"What were you, Mum?" Chris asked, intrigued by this magical sport.

"I was the Seeker. My job was to find and catch the Golden Snitch. It's a tiny golden ball, and it's the absolute worst thing to look for. But you catch that, you end the game and net a hundred and fifty points for your team."

"Were you any good?"

"I was alright, I suppose. Your father was better; he usually beat me when we played each other."

"You and Dad were from different Houses?" Chris was surprised. He knew a little about the four Houses, but he figured his parents would've both been in the same House.

"We were. He was a Gryffindor, I was in Ravenclaw."

"What House d'you think I'll be in?"

"Who knows? You're smart, cunning, chivalrous, loyal; you'd fit into any of the four."

"I wouldn't want to be in Slytherin." Chris shuddered. "They don't sound like a nice lot."

"Oh, really?" Susan pursed her lips. While her husband hated Slytherin on principle, she'd never shared his animosity towards the "snakes". In fact, one of her best friends, Astoria Greengrass, had been a Slytherin while at Hogwarts. _I wonder how she's doing these days._ "Why do you think that?"

"Well..." Chris hesitated. "All the worst wizards, like Riddle and all the Death Eaters, were from Slytherin. And they only take pure-bloods." Chris paused. "What's a pure-blood?"

"Pure-blood is a term for a wizard or witch who have no Muggles in their family." Susan explained. "Some pure-blood families like the Malfoys think that being all wizards for generations makes them better. Not many believe that now though, and equality between all wizards has become the norm."

"So why does Slytherin only want pure-bloods?"

"Well, back when Salazar Slytherin helped create Hogwarts, he wanted to teach only pure-bloods because it was easier to take students who already knew about magic."

"Is that why Slytherin House is all pure-blood?" Chris asked.

Susan laughed. "That's what Salazar would have wanted. But even he valued cunning and ambition above blood status, and that's the main characteristic of Slytherins. Otherwise all pure-bloods would be sorted into Slytherin automatically! What's more, not all Slytherins are pure-blood. Tom Riddle was half muggle and half wizard, and he was sorted into Slytherin."

"But he was still evil, wasn't he? Isn't that why he got put there?"

"Not all Slytherins are evil, Chris. Severus Snape, Regulus Black, even Merlin were from that House, and many terrible people come from other Houses. Peter Pettigrew was in Gryffindor and Barty Crouch and Quirinus Quirrel were both from Ravenclaw." Susan shifted in her seat. "It's not your House that defines you, but your actions."

"Words of wisdom from the Ravenclaw." Charles walked into the room holding Nate. "You always were the smart one." He turned to his older son. "Listen to your mother. No matter what House you're in, I will be proud of you. Doesn't matter if you're a snake, lion, eagle, or badger; you're still my son."

* * *

The day had finally arrived. On September 1st, Chris woke up long before his parents did. Entering the kitchen, he made himself a bowl of cereal. Everything had been packed and repacked at least three times. Mercury was safely in his cage, and his wand was on the table in front of him. Glancing at the clock, he sighed. It was only six-thirty.

An hour and a half later, Susan walked into the kitchen. With a wave of her wand, she levitated plates and ingredients, cooking bacon and eggs. For the first few weeks after she reclaimed her wand, it had been difficult even doing basic conjurations. As weeks turned into months however, the skills she'd built years ago returned quickly.

"You're up early." Susan remarked to her son. She was surprised she hadn't woken up when he was making breakfast. As a consequence of the wars she'd fought in, she'd become an extremely light sleeper.

"Couldn't sleep." Chris was pacing back and forth, anxiety gnawing at his stomach. He'd read all his books from cover to cover, and heard countless stories from his parents about their school years. Yet, he still felt unready for Hogwarts.

"You're nervous about Hogwarts. Being away from home for a long time, with people you've never met is bad enough without magic being thrown into the mix." Susan observed. "All first years feel that way until they get to the castle, whether they knew about magic all their life or if they found out just a few months before they get on the train. But you'll be fine. I promise."

Eventually, the Olivers got into the car and drove to King Cross Station. Suddenly, time seemed to be speeding up for Chris. Although it took almost an hour to reach the station, it felt like five minutes passed before he was pushing his cart to the archway between platforms 9 and 10.

"Remember, the wall isn't actually there, so you'll pass right through. Get out of the way, or someone might ram into you." Charles told Chris. "We'll be right behind you."

Chris nodded and faced the brick arch. After Diagon Alley, he thought he wouldn't be surprised by anything, but looking at what appeared to be a solid wall, he was having doubts. Closing his eyes, he charged forwards. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a sign above him: Platform 9 & 3/4. He pushed his cart towards the scarlet colored steam engine.

Even though it was only half past ten, the station was packed with people. Chris waited until his mum and dad arrived with Nate, and they walked together to the train. After he and his dad had placed his trunk in a compartment, Chris met with his family one last time.

"Be safe." Susan kissed her son's forehead.

"Don't forget to write." Charles hugged Chris. "And try to stay out of trouble."

"Bye-bye!" Nate waved to his brother. Chris laughed and patted Nate on the head before heading back to the train. No sooner had he gotten on, than the train started moving. Chris waved to his family from the window until they faded out of sight.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" A familiar voice said. Chris turned to see Brandon Ollivander standing in the doorway of the compartment.

"Yeah, no problem."

"Thanks." Brandon hefted his trunk into the overhead compartment. "Man, I can't believe we're headed to Hogwarts!"

"I know, right?" Chris sat down. "How long does it take to get there?"

"No idea." Brandon shrugged. "You know what house you'll be in?"

"Don't know, don't care." Chris said firmly. He was telling the truth; he didn't care what House he would be in.

Brandon opened his mouth to reply but then someone knocked on the door. He opened it to reveal a boy with long black hair.

"Hi, can I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Yeah, come in." Chris nodded. He got up to shake the boy's hand. "I'm Chris Oliver. That's Brandon Ollivander." He pointed to the tall boy.

"Steven Allen." The boy brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Hey, are you related to Charles Oliver?"

"Yeah, he's my dad." Chris replied.

"What?!" Brandon's jaw dropped. "But when you came by to Grandpa's store, he said-"

"He probably didn't want you freaking out." Steven interrupted. "I mean, I probably would have too."

"Why would he freak out?" Chris asked, thoroughly nonplussed.

Both boys stared at him. "You're kidding, right?" Brandon finally asked.

"You do know your father's a big deal, right?"

"Er... not really?"

"Didn't you know, he's the reason why most of the Death Eaters are in Azkaban?" Steven scratched his head. "It's been all over the newspapers that he returned to the Wizarding World after ten years."

Chris looked at both of them. "And that's a big deal?"

Brandon and Steven shared a confused look. "You're kidding, right?" Steven said finally.

"Look, I don't know much about modern wizard's history, alright? That _History of Magic_ book had nothing after 1998."

"But, your Dad is Charles Oliver! Didn't he tell you anything?" Brandon waved his arms.

"Nope. He didn't even tell me about magic until my Hogwarts letter came." Chris replied.

The other two boys' jaws dropped. "Whoa."

After an awkward pause, Chris cleared his throat. "So what House d'you think you'll be in?"

"Ravenclaw, maybe." Steven said. "I don't really know. What about you?" He asked Brandon.

"Probably Gryffindor." Brandon leaned back in his seat. "Say, is there anywhere I can get food?"

As if on cue, a lady pulled a cart laden with candy up to the door. "Anything from the trolley, dears?"

The three boys bought some of everything, from the Pumpkin Pasties to a bag of hard candies that changed colors rapidly. Brandon took one and looked at it closely. "What d'you think this is?"

"Streeler Acid Pops." Steven replied as he dug through the pile of candy in search of a Cauldron Cake. "Try it."

Brandon popped the candy into his mouth and made a face as the sour taste burned through his tongue. "Wow, thath wath justh... wow."

Chris and Steven howled with laughter as Brandon tried to speak around the hole in his tongue. Slowly, the hole closed, leaving a smoking patch. Then, Steven took three of the Streeler Acid Pops and tossed them all into his mouth, biting through them with a crunch. The shards of the candy made a fizzling noise as they dissolved in his mouth.

Chris took a chocolate frog and opened the box, catching the frog as it leapt out. He stuffed it into his mouth and looked at the card. He'd only recently started collecting them since his visit to Diagon Alley on his birthday. "Cool, I got a McGonagall!"

Brandon snorted. "I've got about four of her." He opened his own box and caught the frog in his mouth. "Aw man, I got another Weasley."

"Which one?" Steven opened a can of Pumpkin Fizz.

"The twins."

"Never mind then. I need a Percy to complete my set."

The three boys spent the rest of the train ride eating their candies and talking about the Chocolate Frog Cards. A few hours later, the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. As Chris stepped out of the carriage, he heard a loud voice booming over the crowd of students. "Firs' years over here!" He saw with a start that the voice belonged to the biggest man he had ever seen.

Following the giant, the first years came to the edge of a lake, where numerous small boats floated in the water. The giant sat in a boat, which nearly sank under his weight. Turning to the children, he shouted, "Four to a boat! We don't want any of yeh falling in to the lake!"

Chris, Brandon, Steven, and another boy sat in the same boat. Once the last student had stepped into a boat, the entire fleet set off on its own, gliding silently across the black surface of the lake. The students gasped in awe as a massive castle blazing with lights came into view. The boats continued towards the castle, floating through a curtain of ivy into a harbour underneath the castle.

The giant led the first years up several stairs until they came to a massive pair of doors. A tiny wizened old man was waiting for them. "Thank you, Professor Hagrid." He squeaked.

"No need teh call me Professor, Filius." Professor Hagrid rumbled as he walked off.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." the small man said to the assembled first years. "I am Professor Flitwick, Deputy Headmaster of this school. In just a few minutes, you will pass through these doors to be sorted into one of four Houses: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. As Hogwarts will be your new home for the next seven years, these Houses will be your family during your stay here. Points will be awarded for good behavior and academic prowess, and will be deducted for misconduct. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup." Professor Flitwick opened one of the double doors and went inside. "Wait here."

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." A high pitched voice cackled above the first years. Several students gasped and looked up to see a man floating in the air, holding what appeared to be a frisbee with fangs.

"Now, now Peeves. We don't wanna scare the ickle firsties before they even start." A teenage boy floated through the wall near Peeves, followed by several other ghosts. Unlike the others, who were all pure white, the teenager had the faintest tint of red to his hair. He turned to the first years and bowed grandly. "Sir Frederick de Weasley Poopington, Ghost of Gryffindor, at your service. But call me Fred, everyone does." The other ghosts groaned good-naturedly, as if they had heard this line before.

Fred swooped over to a girl with bright red hair and freckles that matched his own. "Hello, you look familiar. Been a few years since I've seen a Weasley in Hogwarts. Who're you?"

"V-V-Victoire, sir." The girl stammered, turning bright red.

The ghostly young man burst out laughing. "Sir! Ha! You'd make Percy proud!" He sobered quickly. "Victoire Weasley, eh? I was wondering when you'd get here. Do you know who I am?"

"You look like Uncle George, but-"

"With both ears? You got that right!" Fred grinned widely. "I'm your Uncle Fred! Welcome to Hogwarts, Victoire! And the rest of you lot, unless you're a Slytherin snake." Seeing the look on a bloodstained ghost's face, he added hastily, "Kidding about that last bit. Good luck with the Sorting!" He and the rest of the ghosts floated through the wall, followed by Peeves.

The first years burst into whispers. Poor Victoire looked like she was about to cry. Just then, Professor Flitwick returned. "Alright then, let's go."

* * *

The first years followed the diminutive professor into a massive hall. Four long tables packed with students stretched from one end of the hall to the other, and a fifth stood lengthwise on a raised dais. Chris gaped at the ceiling above. Simply put, there was no ceiling. The walls of the hall faded into open sky, and thousands of candles floated above their heads.

Professor Flitwick stopped in front of a stool with an extremely old and dirty hat sitting on it. As the students watched in fascination, a rip near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and began singing.

 _There once was a school named Hogwarts  
founded by four loyal, smart, cunning, and stalwart  
the best wizards and witches of their age  
Hufflepuff humble, Ravenclaw sage  
Slytherin ambitious, Gryffindor brave.  
You'll never find a four more made  
for making a school to teach young warlocks the way.  
So come one, come all, put me on your head!  
Let me see where you'll be led!  
Are you hardworking and patient to a fault?  
Go to Hufflepuff you ought!  
Brains over Brawn, is that right?  
Ravenclaw's smarts will be your might!  
Ambitious, cunning, the ends justify the means?  
To Slytherin, your heart does lean!  
Or maybe you're all reckless chivalry?  
Well, a Gryffindor you must be!_

As the hat fell silent, Professor Flitwick unrolled a scroll. "When I call your name, you will step forward and put the Sorting Hat on your head." He cleared his throat. "Aizen, Alex!"

A pale boy with bright blue eyes and short brown hair stumbled forward and sat on the chair, placing the Sorting Hat on his head. A few seconds passed before the Hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

The table to the far left of the Hall burst into applause, and Alex Aizen ran off to join them.

"Allen, Steven!"

Steven winked at Brandon and Chris. "Wish me luck." He whispered and walked forward to be Sorted. The Hat had barely touched Steven's head when it roared "SLYTHERIN!"

Brandon drew a sharp breath as the table to the far right of the Hall erupted into cheers. Steven looked slightly stunned as he stumbled over to the Slytherin table.

"Benson, Sarah!" A pretty girl with blonde hair skipped up to the Sorting Hat. It sat on her head for nearly a full minute before shouting "SLYTHERIN!"

Chris looked around the Hall. Most of the students were focused on the Sorting, as were the teachers. He was slightly amused by the sight of Professor Hagrid, seated between a dark-skinned woman and an empty chair, which was presumably for Professor Flitwick. Chris turned his gaze toward the center of the staff table, and his eyes met those of a severe looking woman who looked to be in her late seventies. The woman gave the slightest of smiles and Chris quickly looked back at the Sorting.

"Jordan, Shawn!" The boy who had sat with Steven, Brandon, and Chris went up to the stool. The Hat remained on his head for exactly ten seconds before bellowing "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table next to Gryffindor started clapping loudly. Chris noticed that only a third of the first years had been sorted. The next few seemed to flash by, until he noticed that the last names were getting close to his own.

"Nobel, Melissa!"

Melissa Nobel sat down on the stool and placed the Sorting Hat on her head. Three minutes passed with no sound from the Hat. "A Hatstall." Brandon whispered to Chris.

"What's a Hatstall?" Chris whispered back.

"The Hat can't decide where to put-" Brandon was cut off by the Hat.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Oliver, Christopher!" Professor Flitwick called. Chris gulped, his stomach feeling like it was full of helium.

"Good luck." Brandon patted Chris's back as he made his way to the stool. Sitting down on the stool, Chris put the Sorting Hat on his head. The brim slipped over his eyes and he was engulfed in darkness.

 _ **How curious...**_ The Hat's voice echoed inside Chris's mind.

 _Sorry, but what's curious?_

 ** _A pureblood wizard, raised as a muggle, partial to none. You could fit in any of the four Houses._**

 _So which one should I go to?_ Chris thought about Slytherin House. Despite its dark reputation, at least he knew Steven, whom he considered to be a friend.

 ** _Not frightened by Slytherin's reputation, eh? And loyal to your friend as well. The choice is yours, Chris._**

 _Aren't you supposed to Sort me? Does this happen with everyone?_

 ** _Not at all. Most are very easy to Sort, others not so much. Your friend has a lot of ambition, hence Slytherin._**

 _Isn't there anything that makes me easy to Sort?_ Chris pleaded mentally. He wasn't sure whether it was wise for an eleven year old to pick his own House.

 _ **You have qualities of each House in spades, yet deep down, you don't want to be limited to just one.**_ The Sorting Hat seemed to chuckle. Almost as an afterthought, he added, _**Faldrin would have been pleased.**_

 _Sorry, who?_ Chris was nonplussed.

 ** _Hm? Oh, never mind that. So, what House?_**

 _I don't know. I trust you to put me in the right place._ Chris answered honestly.

_**Is that so? Well then, better be-**_


	5. Chapter 5: Gryffindor?

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat roared. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers and Chris ran over to join them. As he made his way to the Gryffindors, the Hogwarts crest on the left breast of his robes flashed white before changing into the emblem of his new House. Chris sat down next to Alex Aizen and watched the Sorting.

"Ollivander, Brandon!"

Brandon stepped up to the stool confidently. The Hat immediately placed him in Gryffindor and Brandon sat down next to Chris. This went on until the last student, Dannny Zoroza was sent off to Hufflepuff. As soon as he was seated, the woman sitting at the center of the staff table rose. With a start, Chris recognized her from the Chocolate Frog card he'd opened earlier on the train.

"Your attention, please." Headmistress McGonagall spoke clearly. "Before we begin the feast, I would like to welcome all of you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Furthermore, I must remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is, as the name implies, forbidden. Lastly, our caretaker, Argus Filch, has issued a blanket ban on everything from the current Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes catalog."

Fred Weasley booed loudly at this. McGonagall resolutely ignored the ghost and continued, "A complete copy of the list of banned items can be found on the door of his office in the dungeons. Now, let's eat!" She clapped twice and the long tables filled with a huge variety of food.

Chris's mother was an excellent cook, but he doubted even she could make all the different kinds of delicacies piled before him. Roast beef, fried chicken, lamb chops, steak and kidney pie, and many other dishes lined the table. As he ate, Chris listened to the conversations around him. Alex and Brandon were arguing over their respective Quidditch teams, while across from them, Quentin Ferris and John Lee discussed how they had been surprised by the Hogwarts letter. An odd feeling in Chris's stomach bloomed as he realized how he was similar to the muggleborns in that respect, though he was a pureblood.

Truthfully, Chris thought, he didn't really belong anywhere. The Sorting Hat had said that he didn't fit into any one of the four Houses, and Chris had a feeling that he'd been placed in Gryffindor wrongly. Then again, he'd probably feel the same no matter what House he was in. There was also the fact that he was a pureblood raised like a Muggle, who knew nearly next to nothing about the Wizarding World. All in all, he wasn't surprised that he felt a little out of place.

"So, what happened with the Sorting Hat?" Brandon asked Chris, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You were sitting there for over five minutes!" Alex Aizen exclaimed. "That makes you a Hatstall!"

"Oh. Er... well, nothing really. It didn't seem like that long." Chris shrugged. "It asked me where I wanted to go."

"It gave you a choice?" Alex asked, looking immensely surprised. "Of any of the four Houses?" The other first years around Chris shared his dumbfounded expression.

"Yeah. It said I had the qualities of each House."

"So why Gryffindor?" A boy with black hair and turquoise eyes whose name he couldn't remember asked.

"Because it's obviously the best House, ain't it?" The ghost of Fred Weasley poked his head through the table suddenly, making several of the first years shout in surprise. "Ah, that never gets old. But really, who'd want to be in Slytherin?"

As Brandon agreed heartily Chris remained silent, thinking about Steven. It seemed that it would be difficult to remain friends with him, being that they were in Gryffindor and Slytherin, the two greatest rivals in Hogwarts history.

* * *

After the feast had ended, McGonagall sent off the students to their common rooms. The Gryffindor first years followed their prefect, a boy named James Douglas, out of the Great Hall and up many, many staircases. The paintings around them whispered and waved at the sleepy students as they trudged past. Just when Chris was sure James was leading them in odd directions for no reason, they came to a portrait of fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Alpha," said James, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. Inside, Chris could see the older Gryffindors already inside, some talking amongst themselves, a few trying to finish the summer homework. The first years climbed through the wall into the common room, which was filled with squashy armchairs.

James sent the girls through one door to their dormitories and the boys through another. At the bottom of a spiral staircase, they found their beds: seven four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks sat at the foot of each bed.

"Well, see ya all tomorrow," Aaron Warren said as he pulled on his pajamas and fell onto his bed.

"Night." Quentin Ferris grunted as he too went to sleep.

Brandon Ollivander and John Lee fell asleep without a word. Alex Aizen yawned and made some small talk with Chris for a few minutes before he turned in. Now, it was only Chris and the boy whose name he couldn't remember.

"So why did you pick Gryffindor?" The boy asked.

"I didn't." said Chris. "I just told the Hat I trusted it to put me in the right place and it Sorted me here."

"Oh. Okay." The boy pulled aside the curtain to get into his bed.

"Wait," Chris said. "I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Percy Jacques."

"Oh yeah, you were a Hatstall too!" Chris remembered now. Percy had sat on the stool for four and a half minutes.

"Yeah, the Hat was split between putting me in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff." Percy shrugged.

"So how-" Chris started.

"I asked the Hat to put me in Gryffindor." said Percy as he got into his bed and shut the curtains.

Chris sat on the windowsill for some time afterwards, thinking about what Percy had said. Gryffindors were known for chivalry, nerve, and bravery. Just as Percy had displayed courage by asking the Hat to be sorted into Gryffindor, Chris figured it had been his willingness to trust the Hat that landed him in Gryffindor.


	6. Chapter 6: A Matter of Time

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

"Wake up!" Brandon smacked Chris with a pillow."We gotta get breakfast!"  
Chris got up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Oh man, what time is it?" Then he noticed that the dormitories were empty. "Where is everyone?"

"They left a few minutes ago."Brandon ran to the door, fully dressed. "I've been trying to get you to wake up for ten minutes! Hurry up!"

Chris scrambled into his school robes and hurriedly grabbed his wand from his trunk. He followed Brandon down the many moving staircases to the Great Hall.

The other Gryffindor first years were already seated at their table, eating breakfast. Chris sat down next to Brandon and helped himself to some pancakes.

"Sorry we didn't wait for you, but you weren't getting up." Alex apologized.

Chris grunted in response, his mouth full of syrupy bread. Truthfully, he still wasn't fully awake, and his dark brown hair was sticking up at odd angles. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see some third year girls giggling at him, but he didn't care enough to respond.

"What's our first class?" Quentin asked if no one in particular.

"Charms with the Ravenclaws." Percy replied, looking at the schedule their Head of House, Professor Jones, had handed out.

* * *

The diminutive Professor Flitwick had to stand on a stack of books to be seen by his students. "Remember, swish and flick! Now, practice with your partners!"  
Each Gryffindor had been paired with a Ravenclaws, so Chris was with Patrick Parker, a rather pale and heavyset boy.

" _Wingardium Leviosa!_ " Chris waved his wand in a motion vaguely resembling a backwards "a". He pointed the wand at a feather, which promptly began to float gently.

Meanwhile, Patrick had already finished with his feather and had begun levitating the books underneath Professor Flitwick. ("Put me down, Mr. Parker!")

Chris floated his feather near Patrick's face and began tickling the other boy's nose.

AACHOO! Patrick sneezed loudly, and poor Professor Flitwick soared across the room. The other Gryffindors laughed uproariously while the Ravenclaws looked to see if their House Head was fine. He had managed to land on top of a tall cabinet and did not look too pleased.

Chris quickly cast another _Wingardium Leviosa_ and brought the tiny professor back down to the floor.

"Five points to Gryffindor." Professor Flitwick sniffed and began writing the homework on a blackboard. In retrospect, Chris suspected that his little prank was the cause of the large amount of homework they received.

* * *

Right after Charms was Potions, held in the dank dungeons underneath the school. Professor Slughorn, an extremely walrus-like man, had written out the instructions for a potion on the board and fallen asleep at his desk.

Chris, Brandon, and Steven were sitting around a cauldron and carefully adding pumpkin seeds to the bubbling mixture inside.

"So how's Slytherin?" Chris asked Steven, trying to make small talk. Brandon looked at Chris strangely.

"It's alright." Steven shrugged in response. "How many seeds did we put in?"

"I put in four." Brandon said.

"Three." Chris said.

"I put in four." Steven said quietly. The three boys looked at the board, where the instructions clearly stated that they were to put in ten pumpkin seeds

"Oh." Chris looked at the thick orange mixture in the cauldron, which was now steaming ominously.

"That's not good." Brandon backed away from the cauldron quickly.

"Maybe I can get that last seed out-" Steven began reaching into the cauldron when the orange potion exploded out of it, splashing onto him and Chris.

When the smoke cleared, the two boys had pumpkins for heads. Several of the Slytherins laughed unpleasantly at them. Professor Slughorn waddled over and tapped the pumpkins with his wand, causing them to shatter and reveal Chris and Steven, looking rather dazed.

"Five points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin." Professor Slughorn frowned. "Please do pay attention to what you are doing. If this were an Acid Solution, you would both be in the Hospital Wing."

Later, Brandon pulled Chris aside and whispered angrily, "What'd you do that for?"

"Calm down. It was an accident." Chris replied, having recovered from being a pumpkin head.

"No it wasn't. I'll bet that Slytherin sabotaged the potion!"

Chris looked at Brandon as if he'd grown a second head. "You're kidding, right? Steven got hit with the potion too! And why would he mess up the potion anyways?"

"Because he's stinking Slytherin." Brandon said slowly, as though Chris were a particularly obstinate little child.

"That's hardly a reason." Chris argued. "He hung out with us on the train, remember? He wasn't a bad guy then, and I don't think one day in Slytherin will turn him into a jerk."

"Maybe." Brandon didn't look convinced, "It's only a matter of time."


	7. Chapter 7: Letters

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

 _Dear Mum and Dad,_

 _I got sorted into Gryffindor! My friends told me I was sitting on the stool for more than five minutes, which makes me a Hatstall. The Sorting Hat told me I could've gone into any of the four Houses, and that I had the qualities of each. I just told it to put me wherever was best and it stuck me in Gryffindor._

 _I made a couple of friends. Most of them are the other guys in my dorm: Brandon Ollivander, Quentin Ferris, John Lee, Aaron Warren, Alex Aizen, and Percy Jacques. I actually met Brandon on the train when we sat in the same compartment, along with another guy named Steven Allen. Steven was sorted into Slytherin, but he and I are still friends, I guess._

 _Lessons aren't too hard. We learned the Hover Charm yesterday, and someone in Ravenclaw levitated Professor Flitwick onto a cabinet. It was pretty funny, but I got him down and won five points for Gryffindor. Potions didn't go as well. Professor Slughorn was asleep for nearly the whole lesson, and when Brandon, Steven, and I added one pumpkin seed too many, our potion exploded on me and Steven, made us pumpkinheads._

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts is alright. Professor Drago yells a lot and is pretty grumpy, but he's good at teaching at least. We learned the Knockback Jinx today and practiced using it against each other. I managed to knock Brandon onto his back._

 _Speaking of Brandon, he's been a bit of a prat. Since we were sorted into Gryffindor and Steven went to Slytherin, Brandon's been real suspicious of him, and even accused him of sabotaging our potion yesterday on purpose! Personally, I don't think Steven would do that, and he also lost points from his House. Plus the other Slytherin first years were laughing at him, so I'm pretty sure he wasn't trying to mess with our potion._

 _But even though I told Brandon all this, he said it was only a matter of time before Steven went bad "like all snakes do". He can be pretty thick sometimes, Brandon, but he's a good guy. When the rest of the boys in my dorm went to get breakfast, he stayed to wake me up. Anyways, I wish he wouldn't be so stupid, because I'd rather not have to choose between Steven and Brandon._

 _Tell Nate I said hi and to not touch my stuff, or I'll hex him._

 _Chris_

* * *

 _Dear Chris,_

 _We're so happy for you! Your father is very proud that you've been sorted into his House. Do behave yourself though; Gryffindors are well known for their tendency to break rules._

 _I'm glad to hear you're doing well in your lessons, although you've already had a few mishaps. I expect you to do better in Potions, that was one of my favorite subjects when I was at Hogwarts. Keep working hard, earn those House points!_

 _As for Brandon, I wouldn't worry too much. It's unfortunately the norm for Gryffindors to dislike Slytherins on principle, but you boys are still young. In time, I'm sure Brandon will appreciate Steven for who he is, rather than his House. Keep him close, he seems like a good kid._

 _Nate says he hasn't even gone into your room since you left. He misses you though. Also, underage wizards can't use magic outside school. Stay out of trouble, and have fun!_

 _Love,_

 _Mum_


	8. Chapter 8: The Duel

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

 **A/N: Terribly sorry about the long wait, but I've got a good reason. I've spent most of the time working on planning for this story. Don't worry, even though I have other projects, I won't abandon this one. It is my first fanfic, after all.**

* * *

Despite Chris's mother's assurances, Brandon seemed stubbornly set on distrusting Steven. Sometimes it was enough to make Chris want to throw something at a wall. The other Gryffindor boys weren't much help either. Most of them didn't care too much for Slytherins either way and a few even shared Brandon's opinion.

"Why do you keep sticking up for that snake anyways?" Alex asked Chris. "People don't get sorted into Slytherin unless they're rotten."

"He's my friend." Chris crossed his arms. "And he seemed alright on the train. He isn't like one of those Death Eaters, if that's what you mean."

"Alright, so maybe he was okay." Alex conceded. "But people change, especially when they're around people like the Slytherins. Most of that lot end up going dark."

"Most. But not all" Chris countered.

"Whatever. Just watch your back." Alex shook his head and went back to the Astronomy homework he'd been working on.

Chris tried to finish the Charms essay, but he couldn't concentrate. His Housemates' attitude was not unfounded, he knew. After all, he hadn't wanted to be in Slytherin at first either. What's more, most Slytherins really were rather unpleasant, even amongst the first years. Yet he couldn't help but feel that, by abandoning Steven, he'd essentially be driving his friend to be more like the stereotype.

* * *

"Books away, today will be a practical lesson." Professor Drago announced. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor waved his wand and the desks in the room stacked themselves at the side.

The first years were buzzing with excitement. They rarely got to use actual magic in the class, spending most of the time on writing assignments and theory.

"Quiet." Professor Drago's stern voice quelled all conversation quite effectively. "I will not repeat this, so listen carefully. You will pair up, and practice using the spells we have covered thus far, and _only_ those spells. Should anyone fail to follow the directions, there will be severe consequences. Yes, Miss Weasley?" He nodded at the redheaded girl, who had raised her hand.

"Are we using the spells on each other, sir?" Victoire hesitated.

"Yes." Professor Drago said curtly. "You will be dueling each other, one pair at a time. Whoever is able to successfully hit their opponent first will be the winner. I will be keeping count of whoever is victorious, and each House will earn as many points as there are winners."

The noise started up again even louder than before, as Professor Drago dismissed the students to pair up. Naturally, the first years decided to pair up against members of the other Houses. This period had Gryffindors and Slytherins, so the atmosphere was even more tense.

"Hey, Allen. You and me." Brandon called out to the Slytherin, who merely shrugged in agreement. Chris frowned, but decided not to comment. He himself paired up with Nafisa Hossein, one of the nicer Slytherins.

"Everyone get into line!" Professor Drago shouted above the noise. "First group, come up to the platform." He pointed to a raised platform at the front of the classroom, which Chris was certain had not been there moments ago.

The first two were John Lee and Andrew McDougall. As soon as Professor Drago gave the signal to start, Andrew, a ferret-faced youth with crooked teeth, opened with a Curse of the Bogies. John, a boy with black hair and blue eyes, smartly dodged the oncoming spell and retaliated with two Knockback Jinxes. Andrew dodged the first, but was hit by the second and sent flying off the platform.

"That's one for Gryffindor!" Professor Drago announced as he sent both boys to the back. "Next!"

The first years continued on in this fashion, each duel lasting no more than several minutes. The score remained very close, neither House pulling ahead for very long. Chris managed to defeat Nafisa with the Verdimillious Charm after a few minutes. By the time they came to the last pair, the score stood at six for each House. The last round would determine the tie.

Steven and Brandon stepped onto the platform and faced each other. Almost before Professor Drago even gave the signal, Brandon raised his wand and shouted " _Flipendo!"_

Steven dodged under the jinx and swiftly sent off a Verdimillious Charm that blinded Brandon temporarily, following up with a Curse of the Bogies that connected with the tall Gryffindor.

"Ah-CHOO!" Brandon sneezed, mucus dripping from his nose. He glared at Steven angrily, and jabbed his wand at the smaller Slytherin. " _Everte Statum!"_ He yelled, and a bright orange light streaked from his wand and hit Steven, causing him to fly backward off the platform. The Gryffindors started to cheer, while the Slytherins burst into protest.

"SILENCE!" Professor Drago roared, stunning the first years. Professor Drago's temper was legendary, but none of them had ever been on the receiving end of it until now. He waved his wand, canceling the Curse of the Bogies on Brandon and picking Steven up off the floor. "Foolish child." Professor Drago growled quietly at Brandon. "Are you such an imbecile that you are incapable of following directions?"

"I-I" Brandon began but got no further.

"The rules were simple, Ollivander. Whoever can hit their opponent first wins, and the duel is over. But not only do you continue after you lose, you use a spell that was not allowed. Do you believe yourself to be above the rules, Ollivander?"

Brandon swallowed hard. "No sir." He said quickly.

"Good. Then you will understand the need for consequences that follow such infractions. Ten points from Gryffindor, and detention. Now get out of my sight." Professor Drago waved Brandon off the platform. "Seven points to Slytherin, and six points to Gryffindor. Class dismissed."

The first years were silent as they filed out of the classroom. Steven slipped away quietly, not looking at anyone. Chris was tempted to follow him, but was stopped by what Brandon said next.

"I can't believe it! Professor Drago's so unfair! Just cause I'm a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin-"

Chris looked at Brandon as though he were an idiot. "Are you really that thick? Do you really think that's why you got in trouble?"

"The guy's a snake! There's no way he's being fair." Brandon protested.

"You kind of did break the rules, Brandon." Quentin Ferris pointed out. "And you weren't supposed to use that spell."

"Okay, fine. But I still say that Professor Drago was just-"

"Are you serious?" Chris exploded. "You cursed Steven after the duel was over, lost us all the points we won and then some, and landed yourself in detention, and you're still going on about Professor Drago? He hasn't favored the Slytherins at all before, why should he start now?"

"Whatever, man." Brandon scowled, lapsing into silence. None of the other Gryffindors had much sympathy for him. They were still sore about losing the points they had won.

* * *

Fortunately, that seemed to be the end of the issue, and classes kept going as normal. Brandon remained quiet about his Slytherin bias until mid-October.

Chris was eating breakfast when the Daily Prophet arrived. He looked at the front page and nearly spat out his pumpkin juice. The headline announced in bold lettering: **NEW DEATH EATERS ATTACK MUGGLE LONDON! TWO INJURED IN BUS FIRE!** The rest of the article detailed the appearance and subsequent capture of the Death Eaters, several former Slytherins who had graduated from Hogwarts just the past year.

"See, you can't trust any of them!" Brandon brandished the article at Chris, nearly knocking his bacon off the plate.

"Oi, watch it." Chris tried to wave away the newspaper, but noticed something else he'd forgotten to read.

 _The three Death Eaters were apprehended by a team of Hit Wizards led by the famed war hero Charles Oliver, who recently returned from a decade long hiatus from the Wizarding_ _World. Despite his long absence, Oliver's skill remained undiminished, as he swiftly dispatched of the dark wizards. Onlookers were amazed by the speed with which he apprehended the hoodlums._

To Chris's surprise, Mercury landed in front of him with a letter. As soon as Chris took it, the bird stole his bacon and took off. "Hey! That's my breakfast, you stupid pigeon!" Chris shook his fist at his owl in mock anger, causing the others around him to laugh.

Chris tore open the letter and began reading.

 _Dear Chris,_

 _I'm sure you've heard by now about the incident with the so-called Death Eaters. I wouldn't be too worried, they were just a couple of kids who decided to dress up in black robes and white masks, nothing like the real ones. There's not much sympathy for people like them anymore, especially after the last war._

 _However, I'm sure you've heard something about me at school, and your mother made me write this so you wouldn't be confused about what really happened. Back in when you were still a baby, the original Death Eaters began making a comeback and expanding into other Wizarding nations. Harry Potter, you've probably heard of him, was captured while investigating, and locked up in their headquarters at Azkaban, leaving us without a leader. Witches and wizards from all over the world came to fight them at their base, but no one could agree on what to do._

 _I was only a young Hit Wizard at the time, relatively new to the force, but I'd beaten several important Death Eaters, so people started looking to me for direction, and I led the attack on Azkaban. With the help of our international allies, the Death Eaters were defeated and the war ended. People were calling me a hero and such, but being in the spotlight was dangerous, and before we managed to round up the last of the Death Eaters, some of them tried to kidnap you. Your mother and I decided then it would be safer if we went into hiding amongst Muggles._

 _I know I should've told you this sooner, but truthfully, war is not something I like to remember. I hope this sets the record straight for you. You're mother told me about the trouble you've been having with your friends. I think it's admirable of you to remain friends with that boy in Slytherin. I know I wouldn't have at your age. Between you and me though, you should keep trying to keep peace between your friends. Your mother would say that they'll come to mature in time, but I know Gryffindors have a tendency to not see any alternatives unless they are made to. And as much as I try not to think in terms of those old stereotypes anymore, Slytherin has a tendency to corrupt otherwise decent people, simply because of the worst in that house, so keep watching out for your friend._

 _Love,_

 _Dad_


	9. Chapter 9: Halloween

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

Between classes and homework, Chris hardly noticed the time passing, until one day he looked up and realized it was Halloween.

"Come on, Chris! We're gonna be late for the feast!" Brandon shouted from the doorway as he left with the other boys. Chris tossed aside the Charms essay he'd been working on, and followed after them.

The Great Hall had been decorated with floating jack o'lanterns instead of the usual candles, and occasionally the odd pumpkin would explode into fireworks that danced around the enchanted ceiling, courtesy of Peeves and Fred Weasley.

Unlike the start of term feast, the tables were laden with not only food but every kind of sweet imaginable, including several popular Muggle varieties. Chris happily unwrapped a Mars Bar, which he hadn't tasted in ages.

"Hey, have you seen Brandon?" Quentin asked suddenly. Chris looked around and sure enough, the tall boy was nowhere to be found. He looked over to the Slytherin table in case his friend was trying to pick a fight, as he had a week ago, but there was no sign of Brandon there either.

"I think I saw him leaving the Great Hall a couple of minutes ago." John put in.

"He probably went to the bathroom or something." Percy shrugged. "Give him time, he'll probably be back."

However, Brandon did not return, and after another ten minutes, Chris got up. "I'm gonna go look for him."

"Good idea, maybe he tried to fight a Slytherin again and got hexed." Aaron Warren snorted.

"You know, that's not very funny." Chris scowled, and stalked out of the Great Hall.

"Hey, wait up!" Chris turned around to see Steven rushing towards him. "Where're you going?"

"Brandon's gone missing." Chris replied. "I'm going to look for him."

"I'll come with you." Steve offered.

"Thanks." Chris smiled. Despite Brandon's hostility, Steven never really seemed to be affected by it.

The two first years headed down the hall when suddenly they heard footsteps approaching from behind them. It turned out to be Brandon, who was sprinting towards them with an expression of terror on his face. "Death Eaters! RUN!"

Chris and Steven looked at each other in confusion. Surely it was just a stupid prank by a seventh year Slytherin. How could an actual Death Eater get into Hogwarts? Brandon grabbed both of them by the robes and tried to drag them with him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! THERE ARE BLOODY DEATH EATERS CHASING US!"

Chris opened his mouth to argue when two men in black robes and white masks rounded the corner. The shorter of the pair raised his wand at the three first years and yelled, " _Bombarda!"_

Steven pushed them all out of the way as the spell shot past their heads and collided with the wall, blowing a crater in it and showering the boys with dust.

Chris pulled out his wand and waved it at the Death Eaters. " _Flipendo_ _!"_

The taller Death Eater waved Chris's spell out of the way as if it were nothing. Snarling, he turned his wand on Chris and growled, " _Stupe-"_

 _"_ _Everte Statum!"_ Brandon shouted, at the same time as Steven yelled " _Rictusempra!"_

The Death Eater staggered back, affected by the dual spell effect. His fellow sprang forward, wand raised high, ready to curse the boys. " _Reduc-"_

" _Anaticula!"_ A girl's voice echoed through the hallway and a yellow spell struck the Death Eater, who stumbled and cursed loudly. He turned around to face the caster, a Hufflepuff third year with blond pigtails.

" _Confringo!"_ To the first years' astonishment, a loudly quacking duck sprang from the wand of the Death Eater, who paused to look at it.

" _Aguamenti!_ _Glacius!"_ Another girl stepped into view, this one in sixth or seventh year, and in Ravenclaw, with dark hair. Chris vaguely recognized her as the Head Girl. A jet of water splashed at the feet of the Death Eaters and froze instantly. " _Deprimo!"_ A gust of wind sent the Death Eaters staggering around on the ice. "Just hold on! We'll come get you!" The Head Girl shouted to the first years.

" _Immobilus!"_ The Hufflepuff girl pointed her wand at the Death Eaters, who immediately stopped moving. "That should do-"

" _Ascendare Eum!"_ A much deeper voice boomed, and the two girls went flying across the hallway. The Hufflepuff looked stunned, while the Head Girl managed to land awkwardly on her feet.

" _Protego!"_ The Ravenclaw seventh year pulled up a shield just in time to deflect the newcomer's curse. Chris noticed that this Death Eater had a silver mask rather than white.

" _Scutum Abit!"_ The silver masked Death Eater jabbed his wand and the girl's shield vanished.

" _Furnunculus! Tantallegra! Langlock!"_ The Head Girl frantically sent spell after spell at the Death Eater, who swiftly dodged or parried them all.

" _Vermillious Maxima!"_ Chris shouted, desperately. A shower of burning green sparks burst from his wand and hurtled toward the Death Eater. The silver masked man waved his wand almost carelessly, sending the sparks flying aside into the walls and floor.

 _"Expecto Patronum!"_ A shining white polar bear erupted from the end of the Head Girl's wand and she shouted, "Death Eaters have broken into the school!" The polar bear growled and bounded down the hallway towards the Great Hall. The Ravenclaw then quickly cast another spell. " _Protego Maximus!"_

A dome of blue light settled over the students, separating them from the Death Eaters. The one with a silver mask snorted, then raised his wand high, beginning a zigzagging motion with it.

The Ravenclaw's eyes widened and she screamed.

" _AVADA KEDAV-"_ The Death Eater was cut off by a furious roar and a massive shape loomed over him.

CRUNCH

Professor Hagrid bent over, panting. The Death Eater he had just tackled into the wall slid bonelessly to the ground, moaning softly. "Are yeh all righ' there?" He called over to the students.

The Headmistress, followed by most of the staff, rushed into the hallway. "Oh, thank goodness you made it first Hagrid!" Professor McGonagall put away the wand clenched in her hand. "I'm getting too old for this." She muttered under her breath. "Miss Hyle, please take Miss Leanders to the Hospital Wing. In fact, why don't we all go there?"

Chris, Steven, and Brandon followed Professor McGonagall to the Hospital Wing, with the Ravenclaw levitating the Hufflepuff behind them. Chris had never been to the Hospital Wing before, and was actually disappointed to see that it looked quite ordinary, with clean white cots lined up along the room. Each of the students took a bed.

After the matron, Madam Pomfrey, had checked them all over and declared them to be unhurt, the Headmistress looked at the three boys with a tired expression. "Now, what exactly happened?"

Brandon raised his hand. "I left the Great Hall to go to the bathroom, and on my way back, I heard a noise from the Entrance Hall. I was going over to see what it was when two Death Eaters started chasing me. After that, I found Chris and Steven outside the Great Hall."

"We went looking for Brandon when he was gone for a while." Chris volunteered. "We cast some spells at the Death Eaters but were probably about to be killed when those two showed up." He pointed to the Head Girl and the still unconscious Hufflepuff.

"Miss Hyle?" The Headmistress prompted, and the Ravenclaw explained the rest of the events. When she was finished, Professor McGonagall muttered something, then straightened. "You three were very fortunate to survive. If Miss Hyle and Miss Leanders had not found you, you would likely have fallen to the Death Eaters. As it is, you have displayed immense courage in facing them, so each of you will be awarded fifty points to your House."

Chris's jaw dropped. Fifty points! That was more than he thought he'd ever earn at once! Professor McGonagall continued. "The Feast has been cut short, but the food has been brought to your common rooms, so Miss Hyle please escort these students once Miss Leanders wakes up."

"Fifty points..." Steven whispered in awe.

"Er... Steven?" Brandon began. Chris shot his friend a look but the boy was looking at his feet and didn't seem to notice. "I-I... I was wrong about you. You're not like the rest of the Slytherins."

"Oh. Uh, don't worry about it." Steven clearly looked uncomfortable, but Chris was looking at Brandon with a newfound respect. He knew it couldn't have been easy for his fellow Gryffindor to admit he was wrong, and yet he had done so.

"Are you three alright?" The Ravenclaw girl sat at the edge of Chris's bed. "I'm Rebecca, Rebecca Hyle."

"You're the Head Girl, right?" Chris asked. The girl nodded. "Thanks for saving us back there."

"Just doing my job." Rebecca smiled. Chris noticed that she was quite pretty. "Anyways, you should thank your cousin over there." She pointed over to where the Hufflepuff was starting to stir. "She's the one who told me you disappeared."

"I have a cousin?" Chris was nonplussed. His parents had never mentioned any siblings, and yet, he realized, he might well have relatives he'd never met.

"Yeah, she's been looking after you."

Chris got up from his cot and went over to the Hufflepuff. "So you're my cousin?"

The Hufflepuff nodded. One of her pigtails had fallen loose, so she looked quite comical. "I'm Sally. Your dad and my mum are siblings."

"Oh." Chris paused awkwardly. He wasn't quite sure what to say after that.

"I guess we should go to our common rooms now." Sally fixed her hair. "Rebecca's your cousin too, by the way. Through your mom's side."

Chris (and Steven and Brandon, who had been watching) looked at the Head Girl. "Seriously?"

"Let's get going, you guys." Rebecca grinned. Despite the fact that she wasn't much taller than Chris, she mussed up his hair affectionately. "Come on, little cousin."

The two girls left, leaving the first year boys behind.

"She's hot." Brandon said after a second.

"That's my cousin, you prat!" Chris smacked Brandon's arm.


	10. Chapter 10: Casualty

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

The students hadn't gotten far when a distant noise sounded, much like a series of firecrackers going off.

"We'd better-" Rebecca began when she was cut off by Professor McGonagall's magnified voice.

"ALL STUDENTS RETURN TO YOUR DORMITORIES AT ONCE. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DORMITORIES. REPEAT, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DORMITORIES."

Rebecca looked over to the younger students and swore quietly under her breath. The Gryffindor dormitory entrance was on the fifth floor, and her own dormitory was on the sixth. However, the Hufflepuff and Slytherin dormitories were located in the bottom of the school, far below them. In that split second, she made a decision. "Come on, follow me."

The three Gryffindors and the Hufflepuff followed the Head Girl down the left corridor of the seventh floor. The noises behind them seemed to be getting louder, and the students began to run.

Rebecca stopped opposite of a tapestry with a rather odd looking troll wearing a tutu, and began pacing back and forth in front of a blank wall. "Please work, please work, please work." She muttered.

"What's she doing?" Chris whispered to Sally, who shrugged.

On the third pass, Rebecca stepped back from the wall, which now had a sturdy steel door set in it, which she pulled open. "Get in!"

The sounds of spells being fired, for that's what the noises were, grew even closer, and the children hurried through the mysterious door. As soon as Sally stepped through, Rebecca pulled the door closed and turned a heavy-looking wheel, locking it.

Chris stepped deeper into the room, which was rather bare, except for a couple of bunk beds and dusty looking banners. A cold fireplace sat in the corner of the room, and there was an empty picture frame hanging above it.

"What is this place?" Steven asked, breaking the silence. Sally began to shush him, but Rebecca stopped her.

"It's okay, Sally. We're safe here." The Head Girl sat down on one of the bunk beds. "This is the Room of Requirement. It's one of Hogwarts's lesser known secrets. If you walk back and forth three times in that corridor outside while thinking about what you need, the room will appear."

"Wicked." Brandon grinned. Even in potentially fatal danger, he was impressed by such a place.

"How long are we gonna be in here?" Steven asked. He looked closely at one of the banners. Under the dust, he could tell it had once been scarlet and gold, although the colors had faded. Looking at the other banners, Steven saw the yellow and black of Hufflepuff and the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw. Absent from the room entirely however, were the colors of his own house, Slytherin. He wondered what had happened to their banners, but was pulled out of his thoughts by the Head Girl's reply.

"As long as we have to be." Rebecca answered. " _Expecto Patronum!"_ The silver polar bear appeared again, and Rebecca patted its nose. "We're in the Room of Requirement." The bear nodded once, then lumbered off, padding through the door as though it were a ghost.

"What was that?" Chris asked. "That shiny bear thing?"

"That was my Patronus." Rebecca smiled proudly. "Normally it wards off Dementors and Lethifolds; you'll learn about those later. But Patronuses can also deliver messages."

"So how come people use owls instead of Patronuses?" Chris asked. "Aren't they faster?"

"The Patronus spell is really hard to learn. Only seventh years are taught it." The Head Girl explained. "Not many wizards can perform it, although a Patronus does travel faster than an owl. You have to focus on the happiest memory you can think of while speaking the incantation. It gets easier over time."

"What's your happiest memory?" Brandon asked.

Unexpectedly, Rebecca blushed. "Um... I'd better not say."

"Ooh, is it embarrassing?" Sally teased.

"Shut up." Rebecca grumbled. "They're too young to get it."

Sally burst into laughter, while the three boys looked completely nonplussed. Rebecca huffed in annoyance and went over to the fireplace. She waved her wand, and a cheery fire flared into existence.

"Does the Room of Requirement always look like this?" Steven asked Sally. The Hufflepuff shrugged and looked to the Head Girl.

"No, the Room changes according to what you need. If you're looking for a bathroom, it'll turn into one. If you want say, a place to practice dueling, it'll probably turn into a dueling arena. But it can only change if no one's inside already."

"How do you know so much about it?" Sally asked. "Spend a lot of time in here?"

Rebecca eyed the third year suspiciously. "Maybe. Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason." Sally smiled innocently.

Rebecca opened her mouth, possibly to tell her off, but at that moment a silver cat flew through the wall and spoke in Professor McGonagall's voice. "It is safe to come out now, Miss Hyle."

"Right then." Rebecca walked over to the door and turned the wheel, pushing open the door. "Let's go."

Outside, Professor Flitwick was waiting for them. The tiny old man had a very grave look on his face.

"What happened, Professor?" Sally asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing to be too concerned about, Miss Leanders. The Headmistress will announce it tomorrow. Just go to your dormitories and try to get some sleep." Professor Flitwick sighed, leading the students to their respective dormitories.

By the time Chris and Brandon returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, they were quite tired and hungry. "D'you think there's any food left?" Chris asked sleepily.

"I hope so. _Aurum."_ the taller boy gave the password to the Fat Lady, who swung inwards to reveal the corridor hidden behind her painting. When the two boys stepped inside, they were immediately swamped by the other Gryffindors, who wanted to know where they had been.

"Hey, so what happened? Everyone's been wondering where you went off to."

"Where you really in the bathroom for that long, Brandon?"

Just as Chris and Brandon were about to be overwhelmed, James Douglas shouted at the others to let the boys through and handed each of them a plate piled high with food.

"I figured you two would be hungry. Now, get some rest." The older boy patted Chris's shoulder and sent the two boys to the comfortably squashy armchairs by the fireplace.

"So what happened to you guys? Everyone's been saying that Death Eaters attacked and you'd been killed!" Quentin sat down next to Brandon. The other first year boys gathered around as well.

"Nah, we managed to fight them off." Brandon smirked. "Course, we had help from the Head Girl and some Hufflepuff."

"Wicked!" the Gryffindor boys looked impressed. Chris fought the urge to roll his eyes as Brandon spun a wild tale of an epic duel between the Death Eaters and the students.

"What about that little snake, Allen? He was with the Death Eaters, wasn't he?" Aaron smirked. "Did you get him, too?"

Chris opened his mouth to tell him off, but Brandon beat him to it. "Hey, Steven's not like that! He helped us fight off them off!"

"Right." Aaron looked skeptical.

"I'm serious!" Brandon looked indignant. "Look, you know I hate snakes too. But Steven's not like the rest of them."

"Whatever." Aaron sneered. "I think the Death Eaters Confunded you, Brandon. You should get that checked out. I'm going to sleep." He turned and headed up the stairs to the dormitory.

"Screw you!" Brandon shouted after the other boy.

"Hey, don't worry about Aaron." John tried to calm him down. "He's just being stubborn."

"But you believe me, right?" Brandon looked at John angrily.

John hesitated. "Well, yeah but-"

"But what?" Brandon challenged.

"Nothing." John shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Brandon remained in a bad mood for the rest of the night. The next morning however, he felt much better, and didn't remember the argument until he went downstairs for breakfast and saw Aaron sitting at his usual place. Brandon made sure to sit as far as possible from the other boy.

"Hey, why do you reckon all the staff's wearing black?" Chris whispered to Brandon, who did a double take. Sure enough, all the professors at the High Table were dressed in black robes.

"Your attention please." The Headmistress stood from her place at the center of the High Table. "A great tragedy occurred last night. As you may have heard, Hogwarts was attacked by three men disguised as Death Eaters."

A shocked gasp traveled through the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall waited until the whispering had died down before continuing. "Although the attackers managed to break into the castle, they were held off by several very courageous students from all four Houses until the staff was able to subdue them. However, the leader of the men managed to escape and in the process murdered the school caretaker, Argus Filch."

The Great Hall fell silent at this. Not a single one of the students had liked Filch. The man had been nasty and cruel, and often went out of his way to catch students breaking rules. But no one had wanted him dead, and most considered him as much a part of the school as the ghosts or the portraits; ever-present, unchanging.

"Argus Filch served as the school caretaker for well over thirty years." Professor McGonagall continued. "You may not have known him well, but he was loyal to Hogwarts and its students. He will be missed."

* * *

 **A/N: In case you were wondering about the room Rebecca summoned, it was indeed the headquarters for Dumbledore's Army in the Deathly Hallows. Of course, none of them knew that. Poor Steven the Slytherin; maybe one day the snakes will find their place? As for Filch's rather lame off-screen (or is that off-page?) death, he just happened to be the one member of the Hogwarts staff unable to defend himself from magical attack. Perhaps his replacement will be more capable.**


	11. Chapter 11: First Flight

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

 _Dear Mum and Dad,_

 _I'm pretty sure Professor McGonagall has probably sent you an owl by now, but don't worry, I'm okay. The Death Eaters didn't hurt us. Steven, Brandon, and me fought them for a bit before Rebecca and Sally showed up in time and dueled them. The last Death Eater gave them a lot of trouble though, but Professor Hagrid squashed him. Speaking of which, how come you never told me I had cousins? Are there any others I haven't met yet?_

 _The Death Eaters managed to escape though, so Rebecca made us hide in the Room of Requirement. Are there any other rooms like that in Hogwarts? Oh, and I'm not sure if you've heard this yet, but the caretaker, Filch, was killed! He was really mean, but it's sad that he died. Professor McGonagall said I can go home for a bit, but I don't want to._

 _I'm supposed to start flying lessons after the winter holidays, but I'm not sure I'll do that well. Brandon tells me it's really easy, riding a broom, but I'm more worried about falling off!_

 _Chris_

* * *

 _Dear Chris,_

 _Your mother and I are so glad to hear that you're safe. However, I am disappointed that you and Steven decided to leave the Halloween Feast by yourselves, even if it was only to look for Brandon. The Wizarding World is not safe, and your mother and I chose to live amongst Muggles for that reason. I shudder to think what would've happened if your cousins or Hagrid hadn't been there._

 _You do have several other cousins. Rebecca is your eldest cousin, and in her final year at Hogwarts. I hear she's Head Girl. Her younger brother, Thomas, is a fourth year, and in Slytherin. You have met them before, but you were too young to remember. They're from your mother's side of the family._ _Sally is my younger sister's daughter. She's on the Hogwarts dueling team, which wasn't around when I was at Hogwarts._

 _I remember Filch well. He was a rather unpleasant man, and quite nasty towards the students, although I think that was because he couldn't do magic while they could. Your mother and I never found the Room of Requirement while we were at school, but if you tickle the pear in the portrait of a bowl of fruit in the basement, it'll become a door to the kitchens. The elves will always be happy to feed you. I can't tell you anything else, that's for you to discover on your own._

 _As for flying lessons, I wouldn't worry. If you're anything like your mother and I, you'll do just fine in the air. The school broomsticks are fairly slow and easy to control._

 _Love,_

 _Dad_

* * *

Filch's death shocked the entire school. It had been years since war had darkened the doorstep of Hogwarts, and everyone felt the effects of the attack. Mrs. Norris disappeared not long after her master's passing, never to be seen again. Even Peeves didn't cause mischief for several weeks, out of respect for his fallen nemesis.

Relatively unbeknownst to the students however, the Wizarding World was in uproar. Prominent pure-bloods that had supported Voldemort over a decade ago came under suspicion, and a few students were even taken home from Hogwarts for a week or two.

Word got out that three first years, two Gryffindors and a Slytherin, had been the first to see the Death Eaters, and had taken down one of them. As a result, Chris and Brandon were treated like heroes in Gryffindor. The hundred points they had won together had put their house in the lead for the cup.

Steven, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Although he'd also won fifty points for his house, the older students branded him a blood-traitor and most of the students in his year followed their cue. With the exception of a more level-headed few, Slytherin House treated the boy as an outcast. As a Slytherin, he was already a pariah among the other Houses, but now, aside from Chris and Brandon, Steven was truly alone. For some time, he spent his spare time in the Room of Requirement with Brandon and Chris, leaving only to go to classes or eat.

By Christmas however, the school was relatively back to normal. Filch was replaced by a much nicer young man named Bjorn Thorsson. Like his predecessor, Bjorn knew his way around the secret passages of Hogwarts well, and had a fierce rivalry with Peeves. Unlike the cranky Filch however, Bjorn got along well with the students, and frequently used magic to clean up messes. Headmistress McGonagall preferred having staff that were capable of defending themselves.

Chris and Brandon signed up to remain at Hogwarts over the winter holidays, while Steven's parents summoned him home to go holidaying in France. The two boys were eager to explore the castle and perhaps find more of its secrets. On the first night, they snuck into the basement and found the large portrait of the fruit bowl. Sure enough, when Chris tickled the pear, it changed into a doorknob, and the two boys scrambled through the doorway behind the painting.

The Hogwarts kitchens were warm and filled with wonderful smells. Tiny figures with pointed ears rushed about, baking and cooking and cleaning. To be honest, Chris had half-expected the elves to be like the ones he'd seen in the _Lord of the Ring_ s movies, and the diminutive creatures wearing what looked like tea towels were somewhat disappointing.

"How can we be helping, young sirs?" A rather gruff old elf approached the two boys, wiping a goblet with a small cloth.

"Er, can we get some hot chocolate?" Chris asked, a little taken aback. The elf's voice seemed far too deep for its small body.

"Right away, young sirs!" The elf hopped off. He returned less than a minute later with two steaming mugs of the best hot chocolate Chris and Brandon had ever tasted.

"What's your name?" Brandon asked out of curiosity.

"I be called Grumm, young sirs." The elf bowed and hurried off, disappearing into the mass of his fellows.

"It's really nice there." Chris commented to Brandon as they walked out of the kitchens. "We really should come by more often."

Despite their best efforts however, Chris and Brandon failed to discover any other secrets of Hogwarts aside from a large passageway behind a mirror on the fourth floor. However, the ceiling had collapsed, and they couldn't get through.

* * *

When the term resumed after the holidays, the first year Gryffindors and Slytherins were eager to learn flying. Due to the larger number of students in their year, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had Flying lessons before the holidays, while the Gryffindors and Slytherins had them after.

"Hey, you can't be that bad. Loads of others will be flying for the first time too, you know." Brandon tried to cheer up Chris on their way to the first lesson. Steven voiced his agreement.

"Easy for you to say." Chris mumbled. "You've both been on brooms before."

"Whatever." Steven said. "It's no big deal if you can't fly, mate. Not everyone is great at it."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Chris felt his stomach turn over as they walked onto the Quidditch pitch. Twenty-five broomsticks were laid out in a line on the grass, and most of the other students were already there. Brandon and Steven steered Chris over to the end of the line, positioning him next to the least battered looking broom. Idly, Chris wondered who thought it had been a good idea to leave first years unsupervised with flying broomsticks.

A minute later, a loud whistle sounded from above, and Chris realized that their instructor, a pretty young woman with short brown hair, had been watching them from the air the whole time. She floated down to the ground and jumped off her broom. "Okay, kiddos! First things first, I'm Madam Bell, and what I say goes. I don't care how long you've been flying for, you're gonna follow my instructions or you'll be back on the ground and in detention in the blink of an eye. Got it?"

A chorus of yeses followed, and Madam Bell smiled. "Alright then, step up to your brooms. Hold out your hand and say 'Up.'"

Brandon and Steven both shouted up, and their brooms flew up into their hands. Chris looked back and forth between them and his own broom lying on the ground, with odd twigs sticking out here and there.

"Come on, Chris." Brandon nudged his friend. "You've fought a Death Eater and lived to tell the tale, how hard can this be? And look at Aaron: his broom just rolls over."

Aaron glared over at Brandon and yelled "Up!", to which his broom responded by flying up quickly past his hand and out of sight. Madam Bell tsked at the boy and summoned the broom back with her wand.

Chris looked at the broom uncertainly before finally speaking, "Up." The broomstick zoomed upward and smacked rather satisfyingly into his hand.

"Alright everyone, now that you've all got your brooms, when I blow my whistle, you're gonna mount your brooms and kick off the ground gently." Madam Bell blew her whistle, and the students all kicked off.

Some, like Aaron, floated up several feet and hovered for a few moments before sinking slowly. Others, like Brandon and Steven, reached a more respectable height and remained there. Chris however, shot up like a rocket, past his friends. Instinctively, he leaned forward and pushed the broomstick downwards, and its upward acceleration stopped.

"Well done, Mister Oliver. Five points to Gryffindor for excellent control of your broom" Madam Bell smiled at Chris. He felt a lot more confident now.

Madam Bell waited for the students to settle into the air before continuing. She waved her wand, and a series of large hoops formed in the air. "Get in a line, students. When I blow my whistle, you're gonna do your best to fly through those hoops, one by one. The three fastest students will earn ten points each."

The whistle blew, and Sebastian Silva of Slytherin sped through the hoops. He went so fast that he overshot the second hoop and had to return for it, much to his classmates' amusement. Victoire Weasley went next, navigating a quick and accurate path as the other Gryffindors cheered her on.

Quentin Ferris quickly proved to be the fastest, completing the hoops in a little over half the average time at two minutes. The next quickest was May Gamp, who completed the course in two and a half minutes.

Chris had somehow ended up in the back of the line, and was the last one. When Madam Bell blew her whistle, he shot off as fast as he could. He doubted he could beat Brandon, who had come in third at two minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Still, he drew his body close to the broomstick and aimed for the hoops as best he could. He only cleared the last one by hairsbreadth, and Chris leaned back, bringing his hurtling broom to a stop. To his surprise, his fellow Gryffindors, and Steven, were cheering loudly.

"Well done, Mister Oliver." Madam Bell patted him on the back. "Two minutes and thirty-five seconds. Ten points to Gryffindor."


	12. Chapter 12: Exams

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

Nothing else exciting happened to Chris, Brandon, and Steven until the end of the term. The three boys spent much of their free time roaming around the castle in search of more secret rooms. Much to their disappointment, they did not find any.

Schoolwork came quite easily for Chris, and he quickly became a favorite student amongst his teachers, aside from Slughorn that is. Try as he would, Chris never could brew the more difficult solutions just right, and was merely average at best in Potions.

"Hm." Professor Slughorn peered into the cauldron sitting in front of Chris and Brandon. "An honest effort, boys, but there is room for improvement. I expect better from you especially, Mr. Oliver." The corpulent man lumbered back to his desk. Perhaps it was merely Chris's imagination, but he seemed to be moving slower than he had at the start of term.

The bell signaling the end of class sounded, and the students rushed outside, eager to escape the dark dungeons. The first years had but two exams left for the year, and those were Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"How do you guys do this so easily?" Brandon grumbled as he practiced transfiguring a hedgehog into a pincushion. He mostly succeeded, but the pincushion still had spikes rather than needles and squeaked loudly when poked.

"Dunno." Steven shrugged. "Try picturing the change in your head?"

"I wouldn't worry about it." Chris assured the tall boy. "Professor Jones said that it's the written part that's most important, and you're good at that. C'mon, let's get lunch."

Despite Brandon's worrying, the Transfiguration exam went rather well. Professor Jones had set them an easy written exam, and the practical portion only involved turning a snail into a small rubber ball, which they had done early in the year.

Chris waved his wand, concentrating intently. The plain brown snail shivered and shrank into a red sphere. Satisfied, Chris looked around. Steven had already finished, while Brandon was still on the written exam. Chris took his paper and rubber ball up to Professor Jones, who was grading the exams at his desk.

"Well done, Mr. Oliver." Professor Jones was delighted by the perfect rubber ball the first year turned in. He bounced it several times on his desk before turning it back into the snail and placing it into a container. "You may go now."

Chris and Steven waited outside the Transfiguration classroom for several minutes. All the other students finished and left, discussing the easiness of the exam. Finally, Brandon trudged out, looking miserable.

"How'd you do?" Steven asked.

"My ball still had a spiral pattern to it and was oozing slime." Brandon groaned. "But I think I did alright on the written."

"No one ever fails first-year exams." Chris laughed. "You'll be fine; worst case scenario Professor Jones will dock points. Now, hurry up: we'll be late for Defense."

Brandon had taken so long that the three boys only had ten minutes to run across the castle to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and were almost late.

"Where have you three been?" Professor Drago demanded when they burst into the classroom just as the bell rang. Technically they weren't late, but Professor Drago was a rather strict teacher, and he took points from any student for minor infractions, even from his own House.

"Sorry professor... I had to finish my Transfiguration exam..." Brandon gasped. "Chris and Steven were waiting for me..."

"No matter." Professor Drago growled and strode to the front of the classroom. He turned to face the first-years. "Now, your final exam will be done in groups of three to four, which _I_ will assign." He gave a significant look to Chris, Brandon, and Steven. "You will complete an obstacle course, working together as a team. Points will be given or deducted on your cooperation and competence. Now, the first group will be Mr. Ferris, Miss Benson..."

Chris was placed in a group with Justin Flint, Stacy Keen, and Jasmine Cole. He noted with some trepidation that each of them were from a different House, the others being from Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, respectively. Chris knew Stacy and Jasmine vaguely from his other classes; both were nice enough and did fairly well in class as far as he knew. Flint on the other hand, was a rather unpleasant boy, with a penchant for casting tripping jinxes on others in the hallways.

"Next!" Professor Drago called, and Chris's group shuffled through the door behind Drago's desk. Once they were through, the door slammed rather ominously.

"What now?" Flint looked around. They were in a dark and gloomy room reminiscent of the dungeons, with a lonely suit of armor sitting in the corner.

"Maybe there's a button or someth-" Stacy started to say before the floor dropped out from beneath them.

"AAAAAHHHH!" All four of them screamed loudly as they fell through the air.

Below them, a pool of water rushed towards the first years. Jasmine noticed however, that the floor beneath the water had a symbol shaped like a spring carved into it.

" _Spongify_!" Jasmine pointed her wand downward and cast the spell: a shimmering purple screen appeared over the surface of the water.

The four students hit the purple screen and bounced off with a _sproing_ sound; Chris thought it felt rather like sinking into a very elastic trampoline. They were thrown to the side into a doorway next to the pool of water. Had Jasmine not cast the Cushioning Charm in time, they likely would have had to swim out of the water.

"That was smart." Chris commented as he got to his feet. "Wonder if there are any other surprises waiting."

"Let's get going." Stacy dusted off her robes and crossed the doorway, the others following close behind. The room beyond was nearly pitch black, with only a single torch flickering in an unfelt breeze.

"Well, that's not creepy at all." Chris stepped forward.

"Pfft." Flint sneered. "So it's dark. What's the worst that could happen?"

Something within the darkness growled loudly, as if in response. Chris glared at Flint. "You had to say something."

Flint looked panicked. "It's a werewolf! What do we do?!"

"It's the middle of the afternoon, and the full moon's not for another three weeks." Jasmine rolled her eyes. "And Professor Drago wouldn't make us face anything dangerous."

"Uh, I dunno about that." Chris raised his wand. "This is a practical exam, after all."

Suddenly, a huge white canine bounded out of the dark. Its large, sharp teeth gleamed in the torchlight.

"Gytrash!" Stacy shouted.

" _Flipendo_!" Flint's spell sent the animal staggering. It turned to face the Slytherin and he quickly ducked behind the others. Stacy and Jasmine stepped back as well, but Chris held his ground.

" _Incendio_!" He shouted and a jet of fiery sparks burst from the end of his wand. They scattered harmlessly in front of the pale dog, which growled menacingly. Chris turned pale. "Uh, guys?"

" _Lumos Maxima!_ " Stacy jabbed her wand and a blaze of light erupted from the tip, lighting up the entire room. The gytrash whimpered and slunk away into a shadow. The light faded until it was just a small bulb at the tip of her wand.

" _Incendio_ doesn't work against Gytrashes." Jasmine remarked, walking past Chris and Flint.

The Slytherin muttered something about know-it-all Ravenclaws and followed the girls. Chris rolled his eyes and walked into the next chamber, only to discover that the others were all huddled on top of a desk, with several small creatures jumping up at them. At first he thought they were children, but one turned around and Chris realized they were actually imps.

The three imps raced towards Chris, and he saw that they were holding Stacy's, Jasmine's, and Flint's wands. How the creatures had gotten their claws on the wands Chris didn't know, but he wasn't about to lose his. " _Immobilus!_ "

The imps froze in their tracks and the other three students climbed down from the desk to collect their wands.

"What happened?" Chris asked.

"They were hiding behind the door. Caught us by surprise." Flint grunted.

Aside from an incident with a fire-crab, the rest of their practical exam went somewhat smoothly, and Chris felt that he had gotten a reasonably good score.


	13. Epilogue & Author's Note

**I solemnly swear that I own nothing, except for the original characters.**

Exams were finished, and all the first years had passed. Chris suspected that the exams had merely been a formality, because he could think of a few students who would have failed otherwise. Their trunks had all been packed, and loaded onto the train. Soon, the students of Hogwarts would be back home.

"You'll come visit over the summer, right?" Chris asked his friends as the Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform 9 3/4.

"Of course." Brandon grinned.

"I'll be on vacation with my family for a month, but anytime in July, sure." Steven nodded.

"Think anything else exciting will happen next year?" Brandon grunted as he hefted his trunk from the overhead compartment.

"Of course. It's Hogwarts, there's bound to be something exciting." Chris laughed as he followed his friends off the train. "Well, I'll be seeing you guys." He left his friends behind and searched the station. Sure enough, he found his father waiting by the front of the train.

"Ready to go home?" Charles smiled at his son. Unlike most of the other wizarding parents on the platform, he was wearing plain muggle clothing. He took his son's trunk and hefted it effortlessly.

"You bet, Dad."

 **A/N: And that brings us to the end of Year One. Thank you all very much for sticking with me through my first attempt at fanfiction, I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you had fun reading it as well. I will be marking this story as complete; however, I will be editing the chapters in the future, adding and changing many things, because I am fully aware that this needs a lot of work. And don't worry, this is not the end of Chris's story, I've got so much more planned for this. In fact, I'll even throw in a sneak peek at the next one.**

* * *

 **Oliver Saga Year Two: Walpurgis Rising**

"Wake up!"

"Wha-?" Chris jerked awake to find his father standing above him, wand ablaze with light. "Dad, what's going on?" He checked the alarm clock on his bedside table. "Dad, it's three in the morning!"

"There's no time to explain, hurry and follow me!" Charles Oliver pointed his wand at the still unpacked school trunk by his son's bed, lifting it into the air as if on wires. "Grab your wand and get to the fireplace!"

Completely nonplussed, Chris did as he was told, taking his long aspen wand and following his father to the living room of their house. To his surprise, his mother and younger brother were already there, and the fireplace was filled with green flames.

"Oliver Manor!" Charles called into the hearth, and the emerald fire seemed to grow even brighter. He looked to his wife. "Hurry!"

Chris watched in fascination as his mother took Nate's hand and led him into the fire, vanishing in a puff of green embers. "Dad, what-"

"Floo Powder. It'll take you to somewhere safe." Charles flicked his wand, and Chris's trunk, along with two others, flew into the fireplace.

"Wait, why do we need to go somewhere safe?" Chris began to feel alarmed. "Are we in danger?"

As if in answer to his question, a mighty BOOM shook the house. Chris started. Outside the window, the sky was clear, with no sign of rain.

"It's not thunder." Charles turned toward the door, holding his wand before him. "Now go!"

Truly frightened now, Chris swallowed hard and jumped into the fireplace.

 **To be continued** **...**


End file.
